Linus27

I play with a "my-way-or-the-highway drummer that has their own view and will play on regardless even if their selection sounds awful - tend also to be a know-all". Even my 10 year old daughter last night was talking about the band and asked what's the name of the one who can't play drums very well Has no idea of dynamics, timing, playing for the song to the point where people are commenting that the songs don't actually have a back beat and are just a series of fills. The band is a hoot to play in though but there is zero musical enjoyment as there is no drum and bass locking in. He also follows the vocals so when there are no vocals he tends to get lost. The only way I can sustain it is to look as it as a bit of fun with the rest of the band and a money making exercise and not as an enjoyable musical project. So, as a side line I have formed another band with superb musicians and its so refreshing and rewarding to play with incredible musicians. It has kept me sane.

For me, Fender make the best pencils and even though I prefer the look of the Precision pencil, I find the Jazz pencil suits me the most. I don't even try any other pencils now, I have two Jazz pencils, an AVRI75 and a Japanese 66 RI and two Precision pencils, a Mike Dirnt Mk.1 and a FSR 70's RI. They are all solid, reliable and feel the most comfortable to me.

Wasn't it Alex James who said something along the lines that bass is like a pencil, you just need to find a pencil you find comfortable to use. Sort of insinuating that they all do the same job and not really any different. I tend to agree with this somewhat, certainly live. In fact I bet it would be pretty impossible to identify which bass is used if a bunch of tracks were posted and then asked the question, Precision, Jazz, Stingray, Thunderbird, Telecaster bass, Warwick etc.?

I'm thinking of buying one of these and sticking a fretless neck on it, a black pickguard and a set of Fender 62 Custom Shop Precision pickups. I think it would look and sound amazing.

That is a gorgeous yellow. Do you know the name of it?

Yep, very sad. The Colour of Spring is probably in my top 3 albums ever. All the musicians are amazing and Pail Webb is one of my fav bassist.

A Status neck will be a nice idea, its looking like the probable route I will take. Its just deciding what bass to marry it to

Its not a case of the cost, its more a case of trying to find one. They are just so rare. It is possible to find a genuine 70's one but then we are talking silly money into £2k - £3k territory which I don't have, or want to spend on a bass that will be a regular working bass. I've also not seen a Mexican unlined fretless bass ever, only American and Japanese and again they are so rare. I don't understand why Fender don't make a standard unlined fretless Precision and Jazz for those that want to play fretless. Apart from Jaco, I don't know of any named bassist that plays a lined fretless. Pino Paladino, Sting, Jeff Ament, Derek Forbes, Tony Levin, Tony Franklin, Mick Khan, Percy Jones, Bakithi Kumalo, Jack Bruce, John Giblin plus many more all play unlined. I'm sure there are known players who play lined but the majority are unlined. I'm not worried about the value from resale as its not something I will ever sell on.

No, just the neck. I did enquire and the cost to make me a P-bass neck, with a side dot in the first position, holes drilled at heel and for tuners and to be fitted to my bass with a restring and setup was £537.

Oh, Gareth was round my house last week picking up my two MarkBass cabs. I could of asked him about this bass if I had known hehehehe

I know, this is my gripe with Fender, they haven't done an unlined fretless standard Jazz or Precision for ages. Not even a reissue/FSR 70's fretless for ages and they have so much history of unlined fretless basses.

Only the Tony Franklin is unlined. All of the other Fender models are lined and the stand alone neck that they sell is lined as well.

Same, I just find the lines a distraction and prefer to use the side dots as reference.

Ok, thank you, I guess that's that then

Ok, thank you.

I've only ever played unlined and don't really like lined.

Even if they try and match the neck wood or is this never ideal?

Yeah, I'm afraid so. I've played bass for 30 years and had various Stingray's, Warwick's. Fenders, Ibanez's, Status, Washburn, Lakland's and they have all gone as I just feel the most comfortable playing a Fender bass. The only bass other bass I love is my 1988 ESP Jazz bass but I since found out it was made on the same production line as Japanese Fenders. It has exactly the same headstock as a Fender and all the Fender components are interchangeable so its basically a Fender with an ESP logo on the head. I've just realized now that there is no point trying anything else these day

The only bass I have left to buy to be GAS free is a fretless. However Fender make it impossible to find an unlined Jazz/Precision (apart from the Tony Franklin) and so I was wondering if de-fretting a fretted bass really works and is worth doing. I love the look of the Fender Flea Jazz with its stacked concentric controls and the vintage pickups sounded lovely. Maybe a fiesta red Road Worn Fender Jazz as well. Pick up a second hand of either one of those and get it professionally de-fretted. Think it might also be quite cool and unique to have a fretless Flea Jazz bass. Totally stupid idea or a goer?

I've played one and it does indeed sound very very good. I tried it against a Fender 70s Mexican Reissue Jazz and a Fender American Professional Jazz and all three basses sounded amazing but different. I think my money would of gone to either the Flea Jazz or the 70s Mexican Jazz as they seemed the nicer basses and probably had the edge tonally. The Flea really does feel old, dirty and beaten up which I loved and probably had the edge over the Mexican 70s Jazz. The neck was lovely and it played really well. However the Mexican 70s Jazz looks stunning with the blocks and binding, had an even nicer neck and the sunburst is so deep and colourful. Plus it's about £300 cheaper. In the end I bought a mint condition secondhand Fender Jazz 75 AVRI but I do have gas for a Flea Jazz and a 70s Mexican Jazz still as they both really got under my skin. You cant go wrong g with the Flea Jazz if you like the look.

Big hard patches on my finger tips on both my fretting and plucking hand. They are more pronounced on my middle finger of my plucking hand, and little finger of my fretting hand.

Yep, he's one of those super naturally gifted musicians no matter what he plays. An amazing talent.

Sounds like so ething Bowie would of done on his last album.

Haha I can see why my post made no sense 🤣😂 Yellow is my favourite colour but it's so hard to find the basses I like and play in yellow and in most cases, the yellow looks rubbish. So my second favourite is natural wood.

I think you should just sell me one of the necks and then buy yourself a neck already fretted 😁